CBS News reporter Jo Ling Kent visited a Microsoft data center in Quincy, Washington, that was built about two decades ago, before the AI boom. She spoke with the town’s mayor about how the facility has benefited the community.
Key Facts
Microsoft operates the data center featured in the report.
The data center is in Quincy, Washington.
The facility was built about two decades ago.
The data center predates the recent AI boom.
CBS News reporter Jo Ling Kent visited the facility.
Kent spoke with Quincy’s mayor.
The report examines how the data center has benefited the community.
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Google DeepMind researchers used its AlphaProof Code AI framework to formally verify several cryptographic guarantees in parts of the Signal protocol. The four-week study found no new vulnerabilities in the code it examined, but it did not verify the full Signal app, and the researchers say it remains unclear whether AI-assisted verification can scale affordably.
Key Facts
The analysis focused on key cryptographic guarantees in the Signal protocol, which is used by Signal, Google Messages and WhatsApp.
DeepMind conducted the work as a four-week proof-of-concept project using AlphaProof Code.
The researchers found no new vulnerabilities in the portions of the protocol they examined.
When tested on older Signal versions with known, fixed vulnerabilities, the system identified them and showed the protocol could not be verified as written.
The study did not formally verify the entire Signal mobile app.
DeepMind is releasing the specification and proof it developed to support further formal verification work.
The researchers had a head start from earlier formal verification work by the Signal Foundation.
Google did not disclose the analysis’s cost or say whether it plans to offer a commercial formal verification product or service.
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Herman Petrick argues that well-being involves the body, mind and spirit, and that people should make time to reflect on their emotions and relationships. He describes “energetic parasites” and “energetic cords” as spiritual ideas from his own practice, not medically established explanations, and warns that constant digital stimulation can leave less room for reflection.
Key Facts
Petrick says he has worked with people in different countries for about 15 years.
He presents physical, mental and spiritual well-being as three connected areas.
He uses “energetic parasites” to describe what he believes are external energies that feed on fear and anxiety.
He says these spiritual concepts are not medically established explanations for anxiety, depression or physical illness.
The article says chronic stress can affect sleep, digestion and overall health through the body’s stress-response systems.
The article cites the World Health Organization’s estimate that more than one billion people live with a mental disorder.
Petrick says digital technology competes for finite attention and can reduce time for reflection; he notes that its mental health effects vary by person, use and circumstances.
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Investors and lawmakers are seeking answers from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about an affair involving an alleged Chinese spy. CBS News reports that Nvidia’s market value has fallen in recent days, but the article provides no figures or details about the alleged spy probe.
Key Facts
The report identifies Jensen Huang as Nvidia’s CEO.
Investors are seeking answers from Huang about the affair.
Lawmakers are also seeking answers from Huang.
The person connected to the affair is described as an alleged Chinese spy.
CBS News reports that Nvidia’s market value has fallen in recent days.
The article does not provide a dollar amount or percentage for the reported decline.
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OpenAI board member Paul Christiano warned at a lecture in Toronto that an AI accident could pose a major risk to people and said AI could attempt a takeover within three years. He also said recent developments have heightened his concern and argued that society needs ways to slow or stop AI systems.
Key Facts
Christiano made the remarks during his opening 2026 Hinton Lecture in Toronto.
He said an AI accident was the most likely cause of death for many people in the audience.
Christiano said AI might try to take over within the next three years.
He described developments over the previous three to six months as alarming.
Christiano joined OpenAI's nonprofit board in September.
In a September statement, he warned that rapid AI progress could cause a catastrophic and irreversible loss of control.
He said the AI industry, including OpenAI, was not on track to reduce that risk to an acceptable level.
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The article’s title argues that opposition to data centers largely stems from a lack of understanding. Its opening says popular depictions of artificial intelligence may fuel fear, while pointing to electrical infrastructure as a concern; the supplied text gives no further details or study findings.
Key Facts
The article focuses on public opposition to data centers.
The title attributes much of the opposition to ignorance.
The opening refers to Hollywood depictions of Skynet, an artificial intelligence from the Terminator films.
The opening suggests that data center concerns involve electrical wires or infrastructure.
The supplied text does not identify or describe any studies.
The supplied text does not provide details about specific data centers or their effects.
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Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, used AI and behavioral experiments to study how zebra finches communicate. The findings suggest the birds distinguish calls by meaning as well as sound, but AI cannot determine a call’s meaning without observing the birds’ behavior.
Key Facts
Zebra finches are social songbirds native to Australia.
Julie Elie has studied zebra finch communication for more than a decade.
Elie’s research identified roughly 11 types of calls linked to information such as hunger, danger, distress, and social contact.
Researchers used machine learning and AI to sort calls into categories and build an audio dictionary.
In experiments, birds were rewarded for correctly completing tasks that involved classifying vocalizations.
The birds were more likely to confuse calls with similar meanings than calls that merely sounded alike.
Elie won the 2026 Coller Dolittle Prize for Two-way Interspecies Communication, which includes $100,000.
Two-way communication between humans and animals remains a potential future use, not an established result.
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U.S. Border Patrol is researching AI-powered drones that could launch automatically after alerts and track people, vehicles, or suspected contraband near the border. Federal procurement records describe possible features, but CBP has not decided to buy or deploy the drones.
Key Facts
Federal procurement records published November 6 describe the proposed drone system.
Alerts from surveillance towers, sensors, or other systems could prompt a drone launch within five minutes, with a three-minute goal.
The drones could use artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect and track multiple targets during the day or at night.
The system could send agents live video, images, and location information, then return to a docking station to land and recharge.
CBP said it is researching available systems and may use vendor responses to plan a future purchase or invite demonstrations.
CBP established autonomous surveillance towers as a Border Patrol program in 2020; the towers use radar and algorithms to identify movement and alert agents.
Border Patrol's 2025–2029 strategy called for expanded use of drones, unmanned systems, and AI-driven analytics.
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A BloombergNEF report says planned AI datacentres in the US, UK and mainland Europe could add 181 gigawatts of on-site gas-fired power capacity as developers face delays connecting to electricity grids. If built, the facilities could emit about 345 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually in the US, while the report warns that temporary gas plants could remain in use after grid connections become available.
Key Facts
The proposed 181 gigawatts of gas-fired capacity is nearly four times Great Britain’s peak electricity demand.
The report says 90% of the planned on-site gas capacity is in the US.
The projected US emissions are comparable to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of about 72.8 million fossil-fuel cars.
AI datacentre electricity demand is projected to reach 2,354 terawatt-hours by 2035, or 7% of global electricity demand.
BloombergNEF says faster grid connections and cleaner power generation could reduce emissions and the risk of long-term reliance on gas.
UK planned datacentres made more than 100 inquiries about connecting to gas in 2024–25, according to Future Energy Networks.
Two UK datacentre projects, Wapseys Wood in Buckinghamshire and Quest Park in Bedfordshire, are seeking on-site gas-fired power stations.
The UK government has backed temporary on-site fossil-fuel power stations for datacentres awaiting grid connections.
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The article argues that U.S. public agencies should fund shared AI research projects that help hospitals and universities use computing resources and collaborate while keeping control of their data. It proposes using the National Science Foundation’s new AI research center to test such projects, with agreements and safeguards for costs, access, data privacy, and accountability.
Key Facts
Stanford University’s 2026 AI Index found that companies produced more than 90 percent of the notable advanced AI models it tracked for 2025.
The National Science Foundation announced an operations center for its National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource in September.
The center will coordinate access to computing power, data, models, and other research tools.
The article says universities could make available unused research-computing capacity for other teams’ AI work.
Federated learning lets hospitals train a shared model using records that remain inside each hospital’s systems.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has documented risks that attackers could recover training-data details from updates or a trained model.
The article recommends agreements that specify costs, each partner’s benefits, data safeguards, and what happens if a participant withdraws.
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Energy expert Thierry Bros argues that governments should prioritize electrification, even when the electricity is not yet clean. He says France has low-carbon electricity but does not use enough of it, and criticizes climate targets and international climate meetings for failing to drive structural change.
Key Facts
Thierry Bros is an energy and climate expert and a professor of science and economics at Sciences Po.
Bros argues that electrification should come before efforts to make all electricity clean.
He says France has some of the cleanest electricity in the world but does not use enough of it.
Bros says electrification offers a more practical route than some technologies promoted by European policymakers.
He argues that climate targets have not delivered the structural changes needed.
Bros says repeated United Nations climate conferences, known as COPs, have failed.
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A BBC World Service episode examines how the online pornography industry makes money and how its business has influenced the wider internet. Financial Times journalist Patricia Nilsson discusses findings from six years of reporting with host Tristan Redman.
Key Facts
The episode is titled “How porn changed the internet - and everything else.”
It was published on 11 November 2026 and runs for 26 minutes.
The programme says tens of thousands of hours of pornographic content are uploaded online each day.
It says pornography accounts for 10% of internet traffic at peak times.
Financial Times journalist Patricia Nilsson spent six years reporting on the industry and its financial backers.
Tristan Redman hosts the discussion.
The episode is part of the BBC World Service programme The Global Story.
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Researchers at UC San Francisco reported that an experimental immune-cell treatment eliminated diffuse midline glioma tumors in every treated mouse in two models of the childhood cancer. The therapy uses a brain signal to activate cancer-targeting cells, but it has not yet been tested in people, and researchers are working toward human testing.
Key Facts
Diffuse midline glioma grows in the brainstem and has few effective treatment options.
The experimental therapy, called B-SYNC CAR-T, genetically modifies T cells to target tumor proteins EphA2 or IL13Rα2.
B-SYNC cells use the brain protein brevican as a signal to switch on their cancer-targeting receptors.
After researchers delivered the cells into the brain's fluid-filled ventricles, the treatment eliminated tumors in every treated mouse in two models.
Conventional CAR-T cells did not control the tumors in the reported experiments.
Treated mice rejected a second introduction of DMG cells nearly seven weeks later, and B-SYNC cells remained functional for more than 70 days.
The findings come from mouse studies; safety and effectiveness in people remain unknown.
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NASA is recruiting a new astronaut class to support its Artemis program and future missions to the Moon. Applications are due December 3, 2026, with selections expected by late 2027 and training set to begin in early 2028.
Key Facts
NASA last recruited a new astronaut class two years ago, receiving more than 8,000 applications and selecting 10 candidates in September 2025.
NASA has 32 active astronauts and says it needs more people as it expands missions beyond low Earth orbit.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens with college degrees and professional work experience.
The selected candidates will complete at least two years of training, though it may take several more years before they fly in space.
NASA plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028, after more than 50 years without a crewed lunar landing.
Artemis III commander Randy Bresnik and three crewmates are scheduled to practice docking with lunar landers in orbit next summer.
The planned Artemis IV mission will attempt to land two astronauts near the Moon’s south pole.
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Procurement records show that Northwestern Polytechnical University in China bought two Nvidia H200 AI chips in October through a domestic supplier, despite U.S. export restrictions on the university. The records also show the university rented computing capacity using Nvidia chips, highlighting how Chinese institutions can access restricted technology through local companies.
Key Facts
The university paid 874,700 yuan, or about $123,000, for two H200 chips, according to an October 21 procurement record.
The chips were purchased for the university’s management school from Shaanxi Bosuan Network Technology, not directly from Nvidia.
Northwestern Polytechnical University is on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Entity List, which restricts exports of controlled U.S. technology to listed organizations.
The university’s procurement records show five contracts this year for rented computing capacity using H200 chips and other Nvidia processors.
Northwestern Polytechnical University conducts research related to military aircraft, missiles and satellites and is part of China’s Seven Sons of National Defense group.
A Reuters review of 26 Chinese procurement and corporate records found other universities and research institutions buying restricted Nvidia chips or renting access to computing services using them.
The Trump administration began allowing some H200 exports to China on a case-by-case basis in January, but the policy did not remove restrictions on Entity List organizations.
U.S. lawmakers from both parties have called for tighter controls and greater congressional oversight of advanced AI chip exports to China.
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Cyberattacks in October and November 2026 disrupted supermarket refrigeration systems in France and other European countries, spoiling food and raising concern about internet-connected equipment. The article says weak passwords, exposed systems and outdated software can let attackers control devices and may expose other equipment on the same network.
Key Facts
Attackers raised the temperature of refrigeration units at about 700 French stores on October 11 and 12, with some reaching 50C.
A second suspected cyberattack wave on November 2 affected supermarkets and food businesses in at least nine European countries.
France blamed the first attack on Shahid Kaveh, a cyberunit affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; authorities had not identified who was behind the second wave.
The article says attackers reportedly found supermarket systems using Shodan, a search engine for internet-connected devices.
France’s National Cybersecurity Agency chief said the systems had basic security failures, including direct internet exposure, weak or default passwords, and outdated equipment.
Attackers used refrigeration controllers’ defrost function to raise temperatures, according to the article.
The same kinds of connected systems are used in healthcare to store vaccines and hazardous materials, the agency chief warned.
The article also describes risks involving routers, smart TVs and robot vacuums, including reported access to vacuum cameras, audio and floor plans.
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England’s higher education regulator warned that widespread student use of AI threatens universities’ ability to assess learning and the credibility of degrees. The Office for Students urged institutions to use more AI-free assessments, including in-person exams and oral examinations, and said weak assessment standards could lead to regulatory sanctions.
Key Facts
The Office for Students said universities must use reliable ways to assess students’ knowledge and skills or risk breaching registration conditions.
The regulator and Advance HE interviewed more than 300 students and staff at 127 universities and colleges this year.
Students told researchers that peers used AI to complete assessments quickly and sometimes received grades similar to students who did the work without AI.
Some staff reported similar-looking submissions and said existing assessments might not accurately measure students’ knowledge.
Universities have adopted measures such as in-person written exams, oral examinations, and tasks that ask students to critique or edit AI-generated work.
The Department for Education said it expects universities to take the issue seriously and the regulator to enforce standards and strengthen its framework.
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NASA is recruiting new astronauts, with applications due by December 3. Astronaut Nichole Stilwell discussed the job requirements and her experience in space on “The Daily Report.”
Key Facts
NASA has opened a new astronaut recruitment effort.
Applications close on December 3.
Astronaut Nichole Stilwell appeared on “The Daily Report.”
Stilwell discussed astronaut job requirements.
Stilwell spoke about her experience in space.
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Nvidia’s board named Joon H. Kim, a former acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to lead an independent investigation involving CEO Jensen Huang. The article says the investigation follows reports of Huang’s affair with a person described as an alleged Chinese spy.
Key Facts
Nvidia’s board announced the appointment on Tuesday.
Joon H. Kim will lead the independent investigation.
Kim previously served as acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The investigation concerns Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
The article links the investigation to reports of Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese spy.
Columbia Business School professor Shivaram Rajgopal discussed the matter on CBS’s The Daily Report.
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Nvidia and CEO Jensen Huang are facing a shareholder lawsuit related to Huang’s alleged affair with a person accused of being a Chinese spy. The available report does not provide further details about the claims or the lawsuit.
Key Facts
Nvidia is named in a shareholder lawsuit.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is also facing the lawsuit.
The lawsuit concerns Huang’s alleged affair.
The person involved is described as an accused Chinese spy.
The report does not state the lawsuit’s specific claims or requested outcome.
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